Where You Are
by Ekai Ungson
Summary: Where you are is where I'll always want to be... Li Syaoran and Kinomoto Sakura exchange suitcases in a crowded Hong Kong airport. They meet again, after ten years. The problem is... he's engaged... Yes. It is FINISHED!
1. Switched

*Thoughts*  
"Conversation"  
  
Chapter 1: Switched  
  
She looked out at the gleaming lights of the city that night from the hotel penthouse where she   
was staying.  
  
Ten years could change a place a lot, she mused.  
  
Or maybe it was her that changed. Her perception, her view of things.  
  
She dropped a slender hand and the curtains she'd been holding back fell limply into place like  
white ghosts.  
  
"How do you like it?"  
  
She turned around and smiled. "Nice. Should be pretty expensive, though."  
  
Twenty-one year old Daidouji Tomoyo smiled. "I meant how you liked being back here, in Hong Kong.  
But yes, the penthouse was pretty expensive to bag. It's a good thing we're not the ones paying   
for it."  
  
Twenty year old Kinomoto Sakura laughed, then shrugged. "It's not a big deal," she said. "But it  
has been a pretty long time. Nine... ten years?"  
  
Tomoyo nodded. "We were just kids when we first came to this place for winter break, and that was  
a whole vacation of hijinks."  
  
Well, Sakura and Tomoyo were not kids anymore. And this was no winter break. And it was definitely not a vacation. They were   
here for some very special reasons.  
  
"But--" Tomoyo began. "Are you going to try... and contact him?"  
  
"Who?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me," Tomoyo said, looking at her intently. "You know who."  
  
No point in denial, really.  
  
"If you mean--" Sakura broke off and closed her eyes. "--Syaoran; if you mean Syaoran--no. I'm   
not going to contact him."  
  
"Why not?" her best friend questioned.  
  
"Because-- because, Tomoyo-chan, there's no point to it, really. What I had for him was just a   
childhood crush thing, and I've moved on."  
  
*Childhood crush thing? Preposterous!*, a little voice in Sakura's head squeaked. *You mean love  
of your life! Right? As for moving on--*  
  
*Shut up!*, Sakura returned silently. *Don't say another word.*  
  
Ten years ago. Okay, to be perfectly exact, eight years, seven months and twenty-six days ago.  
  
A promise was made.  
  
After..... an extremely long period of waiting...  
  
She considered it broken.  
  
Li Syaoran.  
  
She was just a thirteen year old girl back then, when they promised each other, that day at   
Penguin Park on the swings.  
  
And then after six years of waiting for the promise to be kept, she gave up. There had been no   
calls and no mail for two years then.  
  
That was about the time when Tomoyo dragged her along for an audition in a major television  
station in Japan. She was nineteen.  
  
An agent spotted her, put her through a screen test and the rest, as they say, is history.  
Both she and Tomoyo were "discovered" that day: she as a film and TV star, and Tomoyo as a singer.  
  
Within two more years the girls were famous.  
  
And in all the frenzied rush of show business Sakura had forgotten all about the shattered promise and unfulfilled dream she held.  
  
Or so she thought.  
  
Because when things were looking up, she and Tomoyo were sent here to Hong Kong for a.) Tomoyo's  
concert tour and album promo and b.) her own TV special.  
  
Sakura insisted to herself that it wasn't a big deal. Hong Kong was a big city. Fat chance of her  
seeing him here.  
  
She put the black suitcase on her bed and opened it.  
  
"--Hoooeee..?" *Men's clothes??*  
  
"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked. She looked into the suitcase. "Huh? Since when did you  
want to dress like a man?"  
  
"These aren't mine," Sakura protested. "I must've switched with someone else at the airport."  
  
"So whose are these? There has to be a name tag somewhere. So we can get your stuff back," Tomoyo  
said.  
  
Sakura searched around and found a stack of business cards in one pocket.  
  
She took one out and read it silently.  
  
Her eyes grew wide.  
  
"Daijobu ka?" Tomoyo asked in concern. She snatched the card from Sakura's hand.  
  
"Li...Xiao....Lang," Tomoyo read aloud. "Oh, my..."  
  
Sakura shook her head disbelievingly. "You have got to be SO kidding me..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Long flight, Xiao Lang?"  
  
Twenty-one year old Li Syaoran looked up. "Not really. But I'm pretty tired so I'll go to bed   
now. Good night, A-chi Fuutie."  
  
Li Fuutie smiled as she stared after her little brother's retreating back.  
  
Syaoran's suitcases were already upstairs. He picked the black one up and opened it.  
  
*Huh-?! Girl's clothes?*  
  
Something about the wardrobe was very familiar to him.  
  
A pink notebook lay on top of the clothes. He set it aside.  
  
*I must've switched with someone at the airport. I should return this. To.....*  
  
He took a double take at the notebook.  
  
Kinomoto Sakura.  
  
*What the HELL-?!*  
  
His kanji may be a little rusty, but there was no mistaking it. Probably because he'd memorized  
the letters and doodled them somewhere so many times.  
  
*That means...*  
  
His heart began to race.  
  
*The girl in the airport.*  
  
*The brown hair.*  
  
*That face.*  
  
*Those green eyes.*  
  
*Damn it- even the knapsack.*  
  
*It had been..... Sakura all along.*  
  
*But what in the hell is she doing in Hong Kong?*  
  
He began to feel an irrepressible sense of guilt overtaking his elation.  
  
Ten years. It was a pretty long time.  
  
And he wondered if she still remembered that promise they made to each other.  
  
In the course of all those years, he'd been swamped with an enormous amount of responsibility.  
Shortly after he came home, he was forced under severe training. And then he was proclaimed  
Clan Master. And then he was given the vast family business to run. It took up a lot of his time  
and attention.  
  
He had tried to make time for Sakura. He really did.  
  
But maybe he didn't try hard enough.  
  
Because one day he called Sakura and he found out from her father that she'd moved out.  
  
And he couldn't find her.  
  
Add that to the increasing pressures of his work and then... he simply...  
  
Lost her.  
  
But now she was right here in Hong Kong.  
  
What would her reaction be if he showed her his face?  
  
Would she be happy?  
  
Would she be angry?  
  
Would she even remember him?  
  
He opened the notebook to its first page.  
  
July. Eight years ago, summer.  
  
He tried hard to decipher the kanji.  
  
*N... nisshi.*  
  
Diary.  
  
*--Sakura's diary from eight years ago.*  
  
He closed the notebook quickly.  
  
But then he caught three familiar characters in a page.   
  
Li Syaoran.  
  
And below that...  
  
Dai suki.  
  
I love you.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"It's not that big a deal, Sakura-chan. If you really don't want to see Li-kun, we can shop for   
new clothes tomorrow. Stop sweating over the suitcase," Tomoyo said.  
  
Sakura shook her head furiously. "You don't understand, Tomoyo-chan. There's something very   
important in that suitcase. Something that Syaoran-kun-- if he really has it-- must never ever   
see."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"My diary." 


	2. Suddenly Aware

Chapter 2: Suddenly Aware  
  
Kinomoto Sakura   
6-2 Tomoeda Elementary School  
July 19  
  
Watashi no nisshi*, (literally, "my diary")  
  
Mizuki-sensei asked me once if I ever felt sad. I told her, yes, all the time, because I  
always cry. She told me she wasn't talking about that kind of sadness.  
  
She told me she was talking about the kind of sadness so deep and so painful.. because  
you had to pretend you were happy so that the people around you wouldn't worry about you and feel  
sad, too.   
  
I asked her to explain, because I didn't understand.  
  
Today, Syaoran-kun told me he was going back to Hong Kong. To stay.  
  
So I wrote a letter to Mizuki-sensei.  
  
Telling her I finally understood what she meant.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, you could go over to the Lis' and ask for it back," Tomoyo reasoned.  
  
Sakura put the phone down resignedly. The airline had confirmed that there were only two black   
Vuitton suitcases on the conveyor belt that day. "I.. I can't," she said. "I- just can't."  
  
"But your diary--"  
  
Which was more important?, Sakura mused. Her eight year old diary or preserving her   
unpained-as-yet state?  
  
She sighed. Her unpained-as-yet state.  
  
".... It wouldn't matter, really. What'll he do with a stack of eight-year old memories?" Sakura  
asked. "Come on, we'll be late and Orochi-sama will kill us both."  
  
*Baka!* she berated herself. *Why do you insist on bringing that notebook of yours everywhere  
anyway? Now look what happened.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Syaoran sat reading the notebook all throughout breakfast.  
  
"What's that he's reading?" his sister, Li Feimei wondered. "He looks pretty serious about it."  
  
"Beats me," replied Li Shiefa. "Hey! Xiao Lang!"  
  
Syaoran wasn't listening. He'd been transported to another place. Another time.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Before I go-- I want you to promise me something," thirteen year old Li Syaoran said.  
  
"What's that?" thirteen year old Kinomoto Sakura asked.  
  
The wind blew softly to ruffle the leaves of the trees. The chains on the swing creaked as the girl upon it moved slightly.  
  
"Promise me... that you'll never forget," he said.  
  
Her eyes shot open and only then did she look up at him. He had his hand held out to her, his   
little finger in the air. Their old sign of shared secrets, promises.  
  
Promises to be kept. Forever.  
  
She hooked her own little finger with his, her other hand gripping the swing chains tightly, thinking maybe if she held him there,   
and she held on to the cold metal, he'd never leave, he'd always stay, and they would always, always be together.  
  
"....Promise me you'll be back," she whispered.  
  
The words hung in the air, suspended, resonated, and the gone with the breeze.  
  
He nodded once. "I promise. I promise I'll be back."  
  
"And I promise I'll never forget. Never, never forget..." she replied.  
  
He stood up quickly and held her in his arms.  
  
*Don't go*, her heart screamed. *Don't leave me here. Don't leave me.*  
  
"Dai suki da," he said softly.  
  
I love you.  
  
And with that, he left.  
  
And her tears began to flow uncontrollably.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Sakura... Sakura-san!"  
  
Sakura blinked. "--Huh? Oh. Gomen, Orochi-sama."  
  
Yuri Orochi was a great director. He was filming Sakura and Tomoyo for a TV special about their  
tour in Hong Kong.  
  
"You seem distracted today, Sakura-san," Orochi observed.  
  
Sakura hung her head. "Gomen nasai. I'm still pretty tired. I think I should..."  
  
"...go to your dressing room, Sakura-san. We can finish taping later," Orochi finished.  
  
Sakura was extremely grateful. She loved Orochi-sama. He was considerate.  
  
Then she began to wonder why, of all the memories in her head and her heart, did THAT particular memory resurface.  
  
Tomoyo appeared at her side. "Daijobu ka, Sakura-chan?"  
  
She nodded. "Hai, otomodachi-san."  
  
She entered her dressing room. Once there, she locked the door and faced herself in the mirror. Green eyes met identical green   
in utter confusion and resurfaced pain.  
  
*Why now?*  
  
Her reflection did not answer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Xiao Lang! You seem so distracted! Have you heard a word I said?"  
  
Syaoran looked up. "Sorry. Lack of sleep. Jet lag."  
  
Wong Ming-na shook her head. "You mustn't tax yourself so. You'll get sick."  
  
"I'm okay," he replied.  
  
"Well, as I was saying, I have to go to our branch in Beijing. Will you be really okay?" Ming-na asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I have to go." She stood up and kissed him on the cheek. "Get some sleep. I'll call you when I get there."  
  
Syaoran saw her off.  
  
Ming-na was a girl he'd met shortly after being proclaimed Clan Master. The daughter of one of the most influential men in Hong   
Kong, Ming-na was beautiful, street-smart, logical, funny and understanding. His mother approved. His sisters approved (But not   
after an impossibly long debate).   
  
So he went out with her.  
  
But now...  
  
But now Sakura was here.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Late that night, Sakura crept out of bed when she was completely sure that Tomoyo was asleep. Making as less noise as humanly   
possible, she crept around in the inky darkness and found what she sought in the closet.  
  
The black suitcase.  
  
She left the bedroom dragging the suitcase along with her. Tomoyo stirred, and she froze. Later she heard her best friend's   
labored breathing and sighed as she continued on.  
  
Okay... so in this particular conquest she might seem like the most perverted person on earth. But no, really. She just wanted to....  
wallow.  
  
Her hands were shaking as she opened the suitcase and sifted through the wardrobe.  
  
Business suits, she found, and A LOT for that matter. She smiled ruefully. *Syaoran-kun. In a business suit. Yeah, right.*  
  
And some formal tuxedoes she found, too. *Waaaaayy spiffy. And I bet he hates it.*  
  
She was giggling to herself now. Syaoran had always told her that he would NEVER wear a tuxedo. Or a tie.   
  
"I like my way better," he'd said. "I don't like clothes that are so neat they make me not want to move. And I need to move a lot.   
Either to protect you from a Clow Card or to punch out the face of any guy who even goes near you."  
  
She'd laughed then.  
  
But now things have changed, and here was a suitcase full of the clothes he so despised.  
  
She wondered how he was. What he'd been doing.  
  
If he still remembered.  
  
*Fat chance,* she thought. *If he remembered, then he'd have been back.*  
  
Under the pile she found a green shirt, sort of old, sort of worn.  
  
This was more like it.  
  
She hugged the garment to her chest, giving in. So she still loved Syaoran. There. She admitted it. Well, to herself. But she did.   
  
She caught his scent as she closed her eyes. Maybe he'd forgotten. But she hadn't.  
  
And she could always dream. 


	3. The Emptiness Within

Chapter 3: The Emptiness Within  
  
Kinomoto Sakura  
7-3 Tomoeda Junior High  
September 27  
  
Watashi no nisshi,  
  
Summer is over and it's been two weeks since the first day of school.  
  
I'm happy because now I have school work to occupy my nights and other things to occupy my thoughts so I don't   
have to think about how lonely I am.  
  
But you know, sometimes, I watch TV, or I read, and I work with the cheerleading squad, or I cook or clean or whatever,  
and when people greet me in school I smile and I say I'm all right, I'm happy, I'm okay.  
  
And I tell otou-chan that everything is just great, and I fight with onii-chan like nothing has changed. And then I go up to   
my room and do my homework.  
  
And then, after all is done....  
  
And I have nothing to do...  
  
I stand alone in my room and feel so...  
  
Empty.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sakura unwrapped the towel from her head and picked up the blowdryer and a brush.  
  
Tomoyo stood up and grabbed her own towel. The clock buzzed eight a.m.  
  
"Otomodachi-san!" Sakura called. "Hit the speaker phone, please!"  
  
Tomoyo pushed the button as she passed by.  
  
"Concierge?" a male voice said.  
  
"Any messages for either Daidouji Tomoyo or Kinomoto Sakura?" Sakura asked above the high buzz of the blowdryer.  
  
"Ah, yes. Miss Daidouji and Miss Kinomoto....a Mr. Hiragizawa called."  
  
*Eriol-kun. For Tomoyo, of course.*  
  
"A Mr. Orochi..."  
  
*Orochi-sama again.*  
  
"A Mr. Tendou..."  
  
*Hmm. Tendou-sama. I wonder why.*  
  
Tendou Sojiro was the girls' manager.  
  
"And a Miss Li."  
  
*Huh?*  
  
"Which Miss Li?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Li Meilin. She left her phone number."  
  
"Thank you. That will be all," Sakura said. The phone shut off.   
  
*Meilin-chan. I wonder how she knew we were here...* Sakura wondered. Two seconds later she hit herself. *Hooee. Of course.   
We're on tour- she must have seen us on TV or something. It's very like her to try and track us down.* She giggled. *Pretty   
succesful, too.*  
  
She selected a black skirt and a pink polo from her closet. She had finished dressing when Tomoyo came out of the bath.  
  
"Who called?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Eriol-kun did," she replied.  
  
"Oh, right, I keep forgetting to call him back."  
  
Sakura smiled. "Why don't you guys just get married already? It'd save you both a lot of trouble and a lot of money, for that matter."  
  
Tomoyo laughed. "Whatever, Sakura-chan."  
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
"Hey-" Tomoyo said suddenly. "Aren't you going to try and get your suitcase back now?"  
  
Sakura froze at the mention of 'suitcase'. "I... don't know."  
  
"It's pretty strange, though, isn't it? If Li-kun has your suitcase he should've returned it by now," Tomoyo said.  
  
Sakura only shrugged as she picked up the phone to call Meilin.   
  
Tomoyo turned back to the mirror.  
  
*Maybe he doesn't want to face me either,* Sakura thought.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They met Meilin for lunch in a cafe at a mall.   
  
The girl hadn't changed much. Her long jet-black hair was down today, though, and she was wearing casual clothes of capri pants   
and a sleeveless blouse. She still had the fearless, feisty, go-get-'em-girl attitude that usually got her what she wanted. And what   
she had wanted in college was to be a lawyer. Which was, not surprisingly, what she'd become.  
  
They talked for over an hour, catching up. And yet, Meilin was not satisfied.  
  
"Why don't you spend some nights at our house, Sakura-chan?" she invited. "We can talk more. And we have to catch up on so   
many things."  
  
Tomoyo glanced at Sakura.  
  
Sakura hesitated. She was thinking, *Meilin-chan lives next door to Syaoran-kun.*  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Sure we'll go, Meilin-chan."  
  
Sakura looked up. "We are?"  
  
"Yes, we are," Tomoyo confirmed.  
  
"It's all set then! Let's go to your hotel and get your stuff," Meilin said, cheerily.  
  
*Oh, well,* Sakura thought. *I'd have to face the music sooner or later.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Are you all right, Xiao Lang?"  
  
Syaoran looked up and saw his mother, Li Yelan, standing before him. "....Of course, okaa-san."  
  
"I sense... deep uncertainty in you these past few days."  
  
Uncertainty? That was the understatement of the year. He wasn't just uncertain. He was flat-out confused. And gulity. And a whole   
other bunch of things he didn't understand but was feeling in great intensity.  
  
But of course he didn't tell his mother that. "I'm all right," he said instead.  
  
Yelan looked at him intently. "You are thinking about Ying Fa."  
  
He blinked, surpirised. Sakura's Chinese name was something he hadn't heard in a long time. "How...?"  
  
"I've sensed the girl's spirit these past few days," Yelan explained. "She's in Hong Kong, isn't she?"  
  
Syaoran nodded slowly. "It's nothing, 'kaa-san."  
  
Yelan only smiled serenely. "All right." She left.  
  
When he was sure she was gone, he buried his face in his hands and groaned.  
  
In Sakura's diary all of his greatest hopes and worst fears were confirmed.  
  
The girl had been lonely, confused. And then after seven full years of waiting she had given up. He was sure that Sakura held   
some deep disdain or hatred for him. The thought made him... sad.  
  
Every time she wrote down that she was feeling bad it was like a blow to his heart and a slap to his low, vile, cheating,   
nonpromise-keeping face.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He closed his eyes. Sakura's countless faces in countless places.  
  
Did she...  
  
Never forget? 


	4. My Last Tears

Chapter 4: My Last Tears  
  
December 23  
  
Watashi no nisshi,  
  
It's winter and the snow is falling outside. Now that I look back, I realize with a   
bit of a shock that it's been... seven years.  
  
For two years now Syaoran-kun has not written or called.  
  
And there'd been no explanations.  
  
Could he have... forgotten?  
  
.... I know I should wait.  
  
But I'm so tired. I'm so tired of crying.  
  
I have always kept my promise.  
  
I have never forgotten.  
  
I will never forget.  
  
I'll just stop... waiting.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Syaoran closed the notebook. He was done.   
  
If he felt guilty before he was now totally blaming himself.   
  
"Xiao Lang! Phone!" Li Fanren called.  
  
Syaoran picked up the extension and muttered a quick "hello?"  
  
"Touchy today, aren't we?" Meilin chided.  
  
He smirked. "Meilin. To what do I owe this call?"  
  
"Nothing, really. I just wanted to invite you for a party I'm having next week."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Just go! I can celebrate whatever I want whenever I want, can't I?"  
  
"Meilin, I'm sort of not in the mood for parties...." Syaoran mumbled. He had a feeling he wouldn't want to   
party for the rest of his known life right now.  
  
"Oh, but you will. Ying Fa is--"  
  
"Ying Fa?" he repeated.   
  
"Sakura-chan!"  
  
"I know who Ying Fa is, but what has she to do with all this?"  
  
"Will you let me finish? Sakura-chan is staying over with Daidouji-san at my house this week!"  
  
Syaoran shot up. "She's where?"  
  
Meilin sighed. "... If you want the technicality she's---yes--- right next door from where you're standing."  
  
He forced himself to calm down. "Meilin... what are you trying to pull me into this time?"  
  
"Hey, I resent that! What do you think of me, an irrepressable schemer?"  
  
*Exactly.* "No, no..."  
  
"So will you go?"  
  
*To see Sakura again? Of course I'll go!* "Yeah.. I guess..."  
  
He hung up. Maybe now he could give Sakura's suitcase back to her.  
  
The phone rang again and he picked it up. "Meilin, what else--"  
  
"Xiao Lang? It's Ming-na."  
  
"Wha-? Oh, sorry. Meilin just called and you know how she is..."  
  
"Yeah I know, she called me, too, for that party thing. Are we going?"  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
He'd completely spaced that he had a girlfriend.  
  
"Xiao Lang, are you there?"  
  
"-Huh? Oh! Yeah. Yeah we're going," he said.  
  
"Okay. I'll see you."  
  
Click.  
  
Damn it!  
  
But of course, it wasn't Meilin's fault. Ming-na was her friend after all.  
  
He opened the suitcase and placed the diary carefully upon the clothes.  
  
The scent of cherry blossom filled his room and his already then whirling head.  
  
How could it be that the simplest --only-- thing he'd ever wanted in seven years was something he couldn't   
attain?  
  
Maybe it was God's revenge on him. He had, because of his actions, brought this upon himself.  
  
He sighed, defeated.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Xiao Lang's been going out with a girl named Ming-na for quite some time," Meilin said.  
  
That stung, but that was Meilin, and Sakura loved the girl's open honesty to her. Besides, the deed was done.  
  
"Did you guys break up?" Meilin asked.  
  
Sakura moved to push the swing forward. She liked swings.  
  
But she was stalling. "... Not exactly, Meilin-chan," she replied.  
  
"So what is exactly, Sakura-chan?" Meilin persisted.  
  
Sakura hesitated. "... Well..."  
  
"Miss Meilin," a butler announced. "Master Xiao Lang is here to see you."  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. "..S..Syaoran?" *Whose great idea was this anyway?*  
  
Meilin winked at Tomoyo. "Here to see me. Right. Please tell him to go here!"  
  
Sakura stood up and grabbed her best friend's arm. "Umm... hide me?"  
  
Tomoyo smiled, frustratingly serenely. "Where? And why? Are you that scared to face him?"  
  
"It's not the point of ME scared," she replied. "It's the point of---"  
  
"Hi," a male voice greeted from behind Sakura.  
  
Sakura winced. *Too late.*  
  
She whirled around, smile pasted on. "Konnichi-wa."  
*~*~*~*  
  
BAM.  
  
The feeling could be compared to getting hit by a speeding ten-wheeler. The impact was astounding.  
  
Syaoran stood there, frozen, as a twenty-one year old Kinomoto Sakura greeted him with a smile. "K...k-konnichi-wa."  
  
"What brings you here, Xiao Lang?" Meilin prompted.  
  
He blinked. "Oh, yeah... I... I got Sakura's suitcase by accident at the airport." He held up the bag to prove his point.  
  
Sakura's jaw nearly dropped. *He DID have it! Hooooeeee....* "Oh, yeah. I have yours, too. Chotto matte de." She  
ran inside the house to the guest room.   
  
"Wait, ley me help--" Syaoran said, following her.  
  
Meilin turned to Tomoyo. "They switched suitcases at the airport?"  
  
Tomoyo smiled. "Sakura-chan really wasn't counting on seein Li-kun again. And then this happened."  
  
"Wow," Meilin commented in awe. "There has to be some really strong force at work between those two."  
  
Meanwhile, upstairs in Sakura's room...  
  
"Here's yours," Sakura said. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that trouble. I didn't have time to go  
to your house because of my work..."  
  
Syaoran took the suitcase. "It's all right."  
  
"Okay." Sakura began to walk out of the room.  
  
Syaoran caught her wrist. "Sakura."  
  
She paused and turned back. "Hai?"  
  
The wind outside ruffled the leaves of the trees.  
  
"How have you been?"  
  
They stood there for the longest of moments.  
  
*I promise I'll never forget. Never, never forget.*  
  
"Fine," she replied. "Just fine." 


	5. It's Not My Concern

* : thoughts  
~~  
CLAMP owns Card Captor Sakura!!!! I don't!!!!!  
~~  
  
Chapter 5: It's Not My Concern  
  
April 1  
  
Watashi no nisshi,  
  
It's my birthday today.  
  
The network Tomoyo-chan and I applied in just gave us both our breaks. That was kind of fast, it was almost mind-boggling.  
But no matter. I'm a professional actress now.  
  
I find it ironic because for six years now I've been acting happy. Maybe that's why I was picked. I have toms of ptactice.  
  
An actress.  
  
Happy outside.  
  
But still crying.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The week went by without much fanfare, but by Friday Meilin's house was buzzing.  
  
Meilin had insisted on taking the girls shopping for stuff to wear that night.   
  
Sakura needed help. She never wore gowns, so she never picked any out for herself before. She always wore the stuff her   
stylist would give her. The last time she wore a gown on her own was for a play in sixth grade.  
  
*And speaking of sixth-grade plays...*  
  
Sakura remembered about that pivotal time of confession to Syaoran. It seemed a like a long time.  
  
*"Syaoran-kun wa ichiban da yo!"*  
  
*Now I really hate myself. I really do.*  
  
"This is the one!" Tomoyo yelled triumphantly.  
  
Sakura closed her eyes. *I bet it's pink, ruffly, balloony and has ribbons everywhere. In other words, typical Tomoyo.*  
  
She was right about it being pink. She was wrong about everytjhing else.  
  
Really. The dress was one of the simplest ever that Tomoyo made her wear. It had no frills, no silly lace, no bells, no   
ridiculous ruffles. Spaghetti straps. Silver thread. Long skirt. After which, nada. Sakura was awed.  
  
"Nice choice. Let's see her in it," Meilin said.  
  
Perfect fit.  
  
Both Meilin and Tomoyo were nodding in approval.  
  
And Sakura couldn't bring herself to say no to the dress. It was too beautiful.  
  
However, she couldn't bring herself to deny Tomoyo and Meilin's motives. You put them together, and they SCHEME.  
  
*Oh, well.*  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nightfall arrived and in the gardens the trees were draped in fairy lights and lamps.  
  
The moon was out, full brilliance, and the stars were shining. Perfect.  
  
*Meilin, what are you trying to do to me?* Syaoran thought as he and Ming-na entered.  
  
And there she was.  
  
In the middle of the garden standing alone looking up at the stars.  
  
"Who's she?" Ming-na asked. "She looks familiar."  
  
"Xiao Lang! Ming-na!" Meilin greeted. "How are you guys?"  
  
"Great, thanks," Ming-na replied. "Meilin, who's the woman in pink?"  
  
Meilin turned. "Oh! Come on, I'll introduce you."  
  
She tapped Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura-chan."  
  
Sakura turned. "Hey."  
  
"Ming-na, this is Kinomoto Sakura. Sakura-chan, this is Wong Ming-na," Meilin introduced.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Sakura said.  
  
"You, too. Have we met? I think I've seen you somewhere before..." Ming-na trailed off. "Oh, no,  
wait, we haven't met. I saw your picture in an Issey Miyake boutique. Are you a model?"  
  
Sakura smiled. "I've modeled for Miyake-sama once or twice."  
  
Ming-na pulled Syaoran over. "This is my boyfriend, Li Xiao Lang."  
  
Something flickered in the depths of Sakura's green eyes for but a second. Then it was lost.  
"We've met."  
  
"Really? Where?" Ming-na questioned.  
  
"We were all classmates in fifth grade," Sakura explained.   
  
"You didn't tell me that!" Ming-na scolded Syaoran.   
  
"It didn't occur to me," Syaoran replied.  
  
Tomoyo came up to them. "Hello."  
  
"May I introduce my best friend. Daidouji Tomoyo," Sakura said. "Tomoyo-chan, this is Wong Ming-na.   
Li-kun's girlfriend."  
  
"You're the top singer at Universal! I have your CD!" Ming-na said.  
  
"Thanks a lot," Tomoyo replied. "Sakura-chan, Eriol wants to talk to you over the cell phone."  
  
"Excuse us for a second," Sakura told the group. Then she walked away with Tomoyo.  
  
"Hai, Sakura desu," Sakura said into the phone.  
  
"Happy birthday, Sakura-chan," Hiragizawa Eriol said.  
  
"Matte! That's not 'til three days away!" Sakura exclaimed.   
  
"I wanted to be the first."  
  
"You sure are! Are you going to Japan?"  
  
"Maybe. Or maybe I'll just go there and leave with you guys. Would that be   
all right?"  
  
"That would be great!"  
  
"Demo, Sakura-chan, are you all right? Tomoyo told me about the suitcase   
thing."  
  
"Oh, that? It was nothing, really, Eriol-kun. Nothing happened."  
  
"And Li?"  
  
"Li-kun is all right. I just met his girlfriend. Very nice."  
  
Eriol got the general feeling that Sakura wasn't being totally honest but decided to let the matter go. "All right. Let me talk to Tomoyo again."  
  
Sakura handed the phone back to her best friend and walked out into the edge of the dance floor. There she saw Ming-na and Syaoran, dancing. She noticed the protective arm on Ming-na's waist as they whirled around.  
  
And she began to wonder which was worse: that, or the diamond solitaire ring on Ming-na's finger. 


	6. Questions and Answers

Author's Apology: I am VERY sorry the uploads took so long. I am frantically typing down everything that needs typing from "To Catch A Falling Star" to fixing "Soleil Noir" and then the numerous oneshots and songfics that I came up with while my PC was under hiatus. I will upload like hell from this day forwards!  
  
Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
Chapter 6: Questions and Answers  
  
June 21  
  
Watashi no nisshi,  
  
"Sometimes, in my darkest thoughts, I wish I'd never learned what it is to be in love   
and have that love returned."  
  
That was a line from a song I heard Tomoyo practicing today.  
  
Do I believe it? Well... maybe. Sometimes, when I feel really bad I end up blaming him  
for everything that happened.  
  
But none of it's his fault; I just have no one to blame but myself for believing.  
  
Dreams are lost and dreams are found, and someday I might find myself believing that  
I truly am all right, and that I have no more shadows in my heart.  
  
But for now I'll stand pretending.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Great party, Meilin!"  
  
"Yeah! I'll see you tomorrow!"  
  
"Thanks for the wonderful night, Miss Meilin."  
  
Meilin and Tomoyo stood greeting people goodbye.  
  
Then suddenly Tomoyo lookeed up. "Where's Sakura-chan?"  
  
Meilin shrugged. "I don't know. Hey-- come to think of it I haven't seen Xiao Lang either."  
  
~*~*~  
  
The midnight chimes sounded.  
  
She stood there, frozen, looking up at the night sky, moonlight on her skin, stardust in her hair.  
  
Magic; in her solemn green eyes.   
  
At least, that's what he saw in her.  
  
He took a step forward and she blinked and turned around to see him there.  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise. "You... startled me."  
  
"Sorry," he apologized.  
  
She looked at him with puzzled eyes. "Can I... help you?"  
  
He sighed. "We need to talk."  
  
"... About what?"  
  
"About... things."  
  
"... Okay."  
  
He heard voices around so he led her to the swing set they'd been sitting on earlier.  
  
She sat down on one and he took the other.  
  
Silence.  
  
"... What did you want to talk about?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Sakura-- I--" he faltered. "Sakura..." he tried again. "I'm sorry for breaking..."  
  
He heard the swing chains creak so he realized she must've moved.  
  
Her skirt swished back and forth as it touched the grass.  
  
"It's okay."  
  
He blinked. That was it? It's okay? "But-- Ming-na--"  
  
She stopped swinging. "Syaoran-kun, you promised me you'd be back. You didn't promise me your heart," she stated softly. "You don't have to explain to me."  
  
He was awed. Did she really believe this to be true?  
  
... No. She didn't.  
  
But of course she wouldn't let him know that.  
  
He was engaged; taken.  
  
She was not to stand in his way.  
  
"Is there anything else?" she asked.  
  
"... No..." he replied.  
  
She stood up and gathered her skirts. "All right." She began to walk away.  
  
"Sakura--"  
  
She turned. "Hai?"  
  
His amber eyes looked up at her, as if pleading. "Did you... really...?"  
  
She knew what he was trying to ask even though he hadn't said the words.   
  
She smiled, sadly.  
  
"I have never forgotten, Syaoran-kun."  
  
And she left him there, her words hanging in the night air.  
  
I have never forgotten.  
  
~*~*~  
  
With one clarifying answer came a thousand questions.  
  
Questions that tormented Syaoran for the rest of the night and most of the  
morning.  
  
Fist of all; what did she mean?  
  
Did she mean she had been loyal to her word... and that was that?  
  
Or did she mean that she'd never forgotten because she still loved him...?  
  
Did her quiet words mean defeat, resignation?  
  
Or calm defiance... even hate?  
  
But Sakura was not capable of hate. That much he was sure of.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"He looks as if he's in pain," Shiefa commented.  
  
"He is," Ielan confirmed.   
  
"Mother? What do you know about this?" Fanren asked.  
  
Ielan smiled. "You'll know soon enough."  
  
~*~*~  
  
He couldn't just drop Ming-na.  
  
But he loved Sakura.  
  
This was great. Just great. 


	7. Tangled Webs

DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura is property of CLAMP Kodansha.  
  
Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson (Hikari-Sakura)  
  
Chapter 7: Tangled Webs  
  
August 5  
  
Watashi no nisshi,  
  
It's quite puzzling what the people's reaction is to me now that I'm appearing in movies.  
  
People who've always ignored me now come up to me in the streets.   
  
And boys of all ages now ask me for dates.  
  
At any other case, I'd find this amusing. Now I only find it lonely.  
  
Because none of them can ever be Syaoran-kun.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, how does it feel to be here in Hong Kong?" Myra Leed asked Sakura and Tomoyo.  
  
Myra Leed was the host of Hong Kong's favorite talk show.  
  
"Great," Sakura replied. "Just great."  
  
"Yeah," Tomoyo agreed. "The people are so nice, the surroundings are beautiful.. we love it here."  
  
"Is this your first time in Hong Kong?" Myra asked.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "No, not really. We visited Hong Kong before when we were younger."  
  
"Really? And how did you find the place then?"  
  
"A lot of things have changed," Tomoyo said. "Haven't they, otomodachi-san?"  
  
Large waves of water, a strange woman, and Clow Reed entered Sakura's mind.  
  
"Uhh... right," Sakura agreed.  
  
"Up next;" Myra said, turning to the cameras. "The lives and loves of these two wonderful girls; after the break!"  
  
The crowd went wild.  
  
Sakura and Tomoyo looked at each other and laughed.  
  
Later:  
  
"So, Tomoyo. Is there anyone special in your life right now?"  
  
Tomoyo blushed. "I have a boyfriend."  
  
"An actor?" Myra prompted.  
  
"No. He's a professor in England. Research and stuff," Tomoyo replied.  
  
"Have you guys ever fought over a man?"  
  
"Nooo..." Sakura replied. "We have different taste so we never actually like the same guy in any situation. It's never happened."  
  
"So what is your taste, Sakura? Do you have a boyfriend, too?"  
  
"...Oh, wow," Sakura answered. "No. I don't have a boyfriend."  
  
"Sakura-chan is picky," Tomoyo interjected.  
  
"I am NOT picky!" Sakura protested.  
  
"Sure you are. You haven't had a boyfriend in a long time," Tomoyo insisted.  
  
"How long?" Myra asked.  
  
"Really long," Sakura answered. "Really, REALLY long."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I was sort of... waiting for someone."  
  
"Okay; after the break..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Syaoran hit the mute button and closed his eyes.  
  
"She's sweet," Ming-na commented. "She waited for that guy a long time."  
  
He stiffened. "How can you tell?"  
  
"I see it in her eyes," she replied.  
  
"Really..."  
  
"If she's your friend, you might have a clue," Ming-na said. "Do you know who she was waiting for?"  
  
*Me. She was waiting for me. And I failed her-- and now I'm with you.*  
  
"Absolutely no idea," he replied.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night, Sakura breezed into the penthouse, a huge smile on her face. "Somebody just arrived for you..."  
  
Tomoyo looked up from the mirror. "Me?"  
  
"Yes, you."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Konban wa."  
  
Tomoyo whirled around. That voice was... "Eriol!"  
  
Hiragizawa Eriol dropped his suitcase and Tomoyo ran to him. "Hey."  
  
"Ohmigosh, I can't believe you're here.. but what in the world are you here for?" Tomoyo asked.  
  
"Sakura's birthday tomorrow," he replied.  
  
"Ah, mou. Stop using my name as an excuse. He wanted to see you, otomodachi-san. Why else?" Sakura said.  
  
"Well, that, too," Eriol said, laughing.  
  
Sakura giggled. "Whatever. I'm going out so you guys can talk."  
  
Tomoyo laughed. "See you later."  
  
"Get married already!" they heard Sakura yell as the door slammed.  
  
"Fine idea she's got," Eriol commented. "Why DON'T we get married?"  
  
Tomoyo burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. Stop kidding."  
  
"You think I'm not serious?"  
  
"I think you're insane."  
  
Eriol looked scandalized. "What if I showed you... this?"  
  
Tomoyo fell silent. A diamond ring was glittering on Eriol's palm. "I stand corrected," she whispered.  
  
"Will you marry me?" Eriol asked.  
  
She turned to him. "Do you have to ask?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sakura inspected a particularly elaborate hair ornament in the lights of Hong Kong's sidewalk marketplace. She smiled. What perfect timing. She went out on the exact eve of the Spring Festival-- and her birthday.  
  
"Pretty.." she breathed. "How much?"  
  
"Fifteen."  
  
She reached for her purse.  
  
"I've got it," a male voice said.  
  
She looked up. "What? --Syaoran-kun."  
  
Syaoran handed her the bauble.  
  
"Arigato," she said. "But what are you doing here?"  
  
"I was just walking around," he replied. "You want to come along?"  
  
She shrugged. "Sure."  
  
They walked around.   
  
"I saw your interview with Myra Leed this morning," he commented.  
  
She hummed absently.  
  
And then fireworks went up and lit the sky. 


	8. When You Begin To See

DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura is property of CLAMP Kodansha.  
  
Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson   
  
Chapter 8: When You Begin To See   
  
Sakura stood, transfixed. "Is it always like this here?"  
  
"Tonight is the first midnight of spring. There's a festival, that's why they're lighting fireworks," Syaoran replied.  
  
"That is so nice," Sakura breathed. "So it's midnight? Wow. I didn't notice."  
  
"Shouldn't you go back to the hotel now?" he asked.  
  
"Nope. There aren't any calls for anything tomorrow-- that would be later in the morning-- so I'm free. Besides, Eriol-kun just arrived tonight so I left him and Tomoyo alone," she replied.  
  
"Star candles! Buy now!" a vendor yelled.  
  
"What are star candles?" Sakura asked Syaoran.  
  
"A candle in the shape of a star... the legend goes you light it up, make a wish," he replied.  
  
"Sugoi. I want one," she pulled him over to the booth.   
  
"You and your fixation with stars," he stated.  
  
Sakura tossed her hair. "Of course."  
  
They got to the booth and asked for two candles.  
  
The lady selling the candles smiled at them. "Give me your hand, child," she said to Sakura.  
  
Sakura gave. "Why?"  
  
"Yours, too, young man."  
  
Syaoran reached out, puzzled.  
  
The woman pulled out a gold ribbon and tied one to Sakura and the other to Syaoran.  
  
"Hoeh?" Sakura managed.  
  
"It is tradition that when a young man and woman ask for star candles at the same time they should be bound with gold and never separated 'til the candles   
burn down," the lady explained. "'Tis to make their love last forever."  
  
"What if they're not exactly lovers?" Sakura asked.   
  
"Same thing, child."  
  
Sakura could only laugh nervously. Syaoran cleared his throat.  
  
The lady handed Sakura a white flower. "Go now."  
  
They walked out of the stall, a little uneasy.  
  
"It's officially your birthday," Syaoran began. "What do you want to do?"  
  
"Shop. Eat. Anything, actually." Sakura held up her wrist. "This is quite strange."  
  
"We're not the only ones."  
  
All around them couples had gold ribbons on their wrists and the women carried white flowers.  
  
"Looks like it," Sakura agreed.  
  
The bazaar was an all-night affair. Sakura shopped 'til she dropped.   
  
They plopped down on a cafe bench later.  
  
"Two coffees," Syaoran ordered. "It's on me."  
  
Sakura gaped at him. "Syaoran-kun, you've paid for everything I bought tonight. And I mean everything. You bought me hair ornaments, two stuffed toys, candles, two dresses, and a bouquet of daisies. You've fed me dinner, a midnight snack, and an after midnight snack. Now you're buying me coffee," she enumerated. "You're spending way too much."  
  
Syaoran shrugged. "Consider it ten years' worth of birthday gifts."  
  
Sakura gazed disbelievingly at him. "You only missed nine."  
  
"So?"  
  
Sakura facefaulted. "Mou..."  
  
"All right. After coffee, one last store," he reasoned.  
  
"As long as you're buying something for yourself this time," she compromised.  
  
"Deal."  
  
He took her to a jewelry shop.  
  
"Eh?" she began. "Why here?"  
  
He only shrugged and walked in, pulling her with him.  
  
Syaoran nodded at one salesperson and the man reacted by ducking into the store.  
  
"I didn't know jewelry shops were still open at two a.m.," Sakura commented.  
  
"Just for the spring opening," Syaoran replied.  
  
The salesperson handed Syaoran a velvet box. Sakura looked up at him. He handed the box to her.  
  
"You tricked me!" she protested. "You told me you were buying something for yourself!"  
  
He smiled like a very satisfied cat. Or wolf, for that matter. "Happy birthday, Sakura."  
  
She took the box slowly, reluctantly, and opened it.   
  
A platinum necklace with a diamond pendant.  
  
"This... this is too much, Syaoran. Too much," she said softly.  
  
He took the box from her and took the necklace out. He began to put it on her.  
  
She turned to lok into his amber eyes. "Syaoran.."  
  
"Seriously, Sakura, this has been waiting for you for a figure of seven years," he said. "I bought it long ago, and it's really intended for you."  
  
She squinted. "Dou shite...?"  
  
He didn't answer. "Promise me you'll never take it off," he whispered.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat. "Demo--"  
  
"Onegai."  
  
She lowered her eyes. "Un."  
  
He smiled. Now he had her word. He knew she'd keep it. "Come on. Let's go light the candles and make your birthday wish."  
  
They walked out of the store. Sakura looked around. "...Where?"  
  
The place was crawling with numerous people.   
  
"Would you like to go to my house? I think my mother would love to see you," he offered.  
  
"Okay."  
  
They left.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, guys, it's Ying Fa! On her way here! With Xiao Lang!" Li Fanren announced.  
  
"Ying Fa? As in the cute little girl--" Li Feimei broke off.  
  
"She's not so little anymore if you'll look at her now," Li Fuutie said.  
  
"Where?" Li Shiefa asked.  
  
"Here by the window."  
  
Four pairs of eyes peeked out to see the young couple.  
  
"They bought star candles-- look, their wrists are tied," Fanren observed.  
  
"Sweet... they look so good together!" Feimei gushed.  
  
"They always have, even before," Shiefa said. "Ming-na is pretty. But not as pretty as Ying Fa."  
  
"They're here!" Fanren announced.   
  
The girls trooped to the door to welcome Sakura.  
  
"Ying Fa!"  
  
"Look at you now!"  
  
"So cute!!"  
  
Sakura laughed nervously. "Konban wa... Fuutie, Shiefa, Fanren, Feimei."  
  
"She remembers us! What a sweet girl..."  
  
Syaoran grinned ruefully. Sakura, even as a little girl, had already endeared herself to his family. His sisters liked her. His mother liked her.   
  
He remembered how horrified he was when his mom was so nice to Sakura when she first came to Hong Kong. He couldn't place it. He couldn't fathom it.  
  
But maybe then she already knew something he didn't.  
  
"Hello, Ying Fa."  
  
Sakura looked up. The Li matriarch had just entered. "Konban wa, Li-sama," she bowed.  
  
"Here to celebrate the spring festival?" Ielan asked.   
  
"Actually. Mother, we were going to light star candles in the garden," Syaoran said.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Sakura, let's go," Syaoran said. Sakura gave a last bow to everyone before following.  
  
They walked into the back garden.  
  
What Sakura saw there was a pair of swings. She smiled at the irony. *What, whenever he and I talk alone, there is always a swing present.*  
  
She walked over to one and touched the thick rope it hung from.   
  
"Like it?"  
  
She whirled around. "Yeah. Has this been here long?"   
  
"Not that much," he replied. "I made it myself ten years ago."  
  
When he was eleven.  
  
"Why?" she questioned.  
  
"I wanted to preserve a memory."  
  
*"I just kept smiling... so that.. Yukito-san wouldn't worry. I'm kind of happy already... knowing that he's happy... but..." Sakura broke off as tears fell from her eyes.   
  
Syaoran handed her a handkerchief. She looked up in surprise.   
  
"I know how you feel," he whispered. "I know how it's like when a person you love doesn't love you back. But it will get better. It may hurt now, but soon, maybe, you will be happy again."  
  
He tok both her shoulders and held her close.   
  
And she cried.*  
  
Sakura lowered her eyes. "Let's go light the candles."  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
They placed the candles on the grass and knelt as they lit them, sending a few heart's desires on the way of the flame.  
  
*I wish for nothing else, I have what I want now,* Sakura thought.   
  
*I wish..* Syaoran pleaded. *I wish she'd stay.. after what I...*  
  
They finished at the same time and looked at each other.   
  
"Want to sit?" Syaoran offered.  
  
"Yeah, all right."  
  
They sat beside each other on the swings, their bound wrists dangling at the sides.   
  
He gazed at her, candlelight illuminating the delicate features softly, a smile playing on her lips.  
  
And then it hit him.   
  
This was the woman he loved.  
  
Whose brown hair fell in wispy strands on the sides of her face.  
  
Whose emerald eyes show all the emotion in the world that was important to him.  
  
Whose touch made him feel... alive.  
  
Whose smile gave him warmth, even in the cold.  
  
Ming-na was no Sakura.  
  
It was Sakura he loved.  
  
She blinked, sensing his stare. She turned to look at him.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
He looked into her eyes.  
  
"I love you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Chapter 9: What Holds True (preview)  
  
Anything she hoped to say, everything she was thinking, flew out of her head and became totally incoherent.  
  
Her thoughts scattered, regrouped, and then scattered again, like dust in the wind.  
  
Then one thought, one concept, rose above and resonated.   
  
*No.*  
  
"No," SAkura whispered.  
  
Syaoran blinked. "What? Why?"  
  
She stood up, and the gold ribbon on her wrist unraveled. "No," she repeated. "Don't tell me this, Syaoran-kun."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's Note: DO NOT KILL ME!!!!! 


	9. What Holds True

DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply. See previous chapters for full disclaimer.  
  
DEDICATION: To Candy-chan. Daijobu da yo, 'ne-chan. Daijobu.  
  
Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
Chapter 9: What Holds True  
  
Anything she'd hoped to say, everything she was thinking, flew out of her head.  
  
Her thoughts scattered, regrouped, and scattered again.  
  
Then one thought, one concept rose above and resonated.  
  
*No.*  
  
"No," Sakura whispered.  
  
Syaoran blinked. "What? Why?"  
  
She stood up and the gold ribbon on her wrist unraveled. "No," she repeated. "Don't tell me this, Syaoran-kun."  
  
He stood up, too. "It's the truth!"  
  
She shook her head furiously. "It doesn't match the reality!" she cried. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "You're engaged."  
  
It was like a slap to his face. Still, he persisted. he placed both hands on her shoulders. "Sakura. Listen to me."   
  
"You can't break your promise to her just like that, just because you were with me for a night," she whispered. "It's not enough, and I can't let you break your promise to her. I WON'T let you do it, not because of me, and not because of one meaningless night."  
  
His jaw dropped. "Meaningless?"  
  
She drew breath sharply. "Please let me go," she pleaded softly. "Let me go and forget anything happened tonight."  
  
She took a step back and his hands fell limply to his sides.  
  
Her eyes looked into his for one long moment.  
  
Then she turned and ran.  
  
All he could do was stare after her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Noon sunlight was coming into her room.  
  
She stared up at the pristine ceiling, dazed. She hadn't moved since she got back to the hotel.  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*(Flashback)~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*  
  
The hotel room opened and Tomoyo jumped up. "Sakura-chan! It's five in the morning, so where--" Tomoyo paused as she took in her best friend's devastated state. "Sakura-chan, daijobu ka?"  
  
Sakura shook her head weakly. "Iie. Daijobu jannai."  
  
"Dou shita no?"  
  
Sakura looked up at her best friend. "I... I rejected him, Tomoyo-chan."  
  
Tomoyo's brow crinkled. "But why? I thought..."  
  
The tears overflowed. "Because... I didn't want Ming-na to be... hurt. I didn't want him to repeat what he did to me to her."  
  
Tomoyo looked at her intently. "You didn't want Ming-na hurt or you didn't want yourself hurt?"  
  
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*  
  
Somehow the words had rung so true.  
  
Why did she say no?  
  
She closed her eyes. *Because I... I'm a coward.*  
  
Someone knocked softly on her door and Tomoyo walked in.  
  
"These just came for you," she announced.  
  
Sakura turned and recognized Syaoran's presents at once.  
  
"They're from Li-kun," Tomoyo said needlessly.  
  
Sakura then realized with a jolt that she was still wearing the diamond necklace. She sat up as Tomoyo left the room.  
  
Now was the time for self-assessment.  
  
The questions: why did she say no? What was she afraid of?   
  
The answers: She said no because she was scared. She was scared of the pain.  
  
Did she really believe he'd do that to her?  
  
*He's done it before.*  
  
But does she believe it?  
  
*No.*  
  
Does she love him?  
  
*No. Yes. No... Yes. Okay. Yes.*  
  
And what does she hold true?  
  
*That I love him.*  
  
Clear as crystal, plain as day.  
  
She had learned for these past eight years to hide her tears behind a smile, to drown out his voice in a crowd's applause. She had learned to forget his memories to remember her lines and to stop the pain by acting happy in front of the camera.  
  
But she had never learned how to erase her love for the amber-eyed, brown-haired Chinese boy that had stolen her heart not by force but by gently waiting for her to come to her senses.  
  
Sakura opened her eyes. What she held true was Syaoran, it was truth and nothing but.  
  
But things weren't so easy, really.  
  
There was the matter of Ming-na. She wasn't scared, sure, not scared of what pain Syaoran could give her. She was scared of the pain THEY could inflict on Ming-na, who wasn't at fault here.  
  
Things weren't easy at all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He looked out the window, where he had a clear view of the garden below.  
  
The swings moved when the wind blew.  
  
His sisters' voices wafted up to his ears. He closed his eyes. he could not hear them. He was hearing Sakura's voice again.  
  
*"You can't break your promise to her just like that, just because you were with me for a night," she whispered. "It's not enough, and I can't let you break your promise to her. I WON'T let you do it, not because of me, and not because of one meaningless night."*  
  
Why did they both have to be so sacrificial?  
  
She didn't want to be the cause of someone else's pain. That was typical of her. She'd sooner sacrifice her life for the sake of other people's safety. She'd sooner die herself before she let anyone else came to harm. She'd sooner walk away before anyone's feelings got hurt.  
  
Because of this, she'd walked away from him.  
  
And he... he didn't want to hurt Ming-na, who had done nothing wrong to deserve any pain.  
  
He was at fault.  
  
He could've kept his promise to Sakura, and if he did, she'd still be with him, and if he was, he never would've gotten engaged in the first place.  
  
But he didn't. His actions led to a series of chain counter-reactions, and now he was hopelessly stuck.  
  
Why the hell did the complications begin to arise when everything became so clear?  
  
Sakura was what he held true.  
  
Ming-na had never been it. Ming-na was there when he was lonely, confused, alone. But now he realized that he loved Ming-na the way he loved Meilin. Like a sister.  
  
What HAD pushed him to ask Ming-na to marry him?  
  
He thought it was love. But now he knew the difference.  
  
He was in love with Sakura. He always had been.  
  
Why, damn it, why did they both have to be so sacrificial?  
  
*Beacuse we're afraid to let other people feel the pain we've felt-- still feeling. We're scared.*  
  
It didn't matter now. Sakura had said no.  
  
He had nothing left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: THERE! Are you guys HAPPY now? Geezs. Now four more chapters and it's done. Imma go work on the next chapter. Have a little patience, guys!! 


	10. That Notting Hill-like Scenario

DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply. See previous chapters for full disclaimer.  
  
DEDICATION: To the people who review: all the people who review and threaten me to finish this series ALREADY, because without the threats I would have no motivation.   
  
Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
Chapter 10: That Notting Hill-like Scenario  
  
~"In show business, has Kinomoto Sakura found love in Hong Kong? We have exclusive pictures of the famous film star with a Hong Kong male in the recently concluded Spring Festival! And it's not just any Hong Kong male, mind. Sakura picked one of the most eligible bachelors in the country today! Who? Find out when we return!"~  
  
Tomoyo nearly choked on her food. Eriol patted her back.  
  
"D-did I hear right? Was-- were they talking about Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo choked.  
  
Eriol nodded.  
  
"I just have some idea as to who that mystery man might be..." Tomoyo muttered. "Sakura! Sakura-chan!"  
  
Sakura came out of her room. "Dou shite, otomodachi-san?"  
  
"Look, it's-- it's all over the news..."  
  
~"We're back! Kinomoto Sakura is in Hong Kong touring with her best friend, singer Daidouji Tomoyo. The actress has only been in the country for two weeks and already she has landed herself a man, the only male heir to Li Enterprises, Li Xiao Lang. Mr. Li is considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Hong Kong today until recently, when it was announced that he was set to marry Wong Ming-na, daughter of shipping magnate, Wong Yo Chin. Has Sakura stolen his heart? In these exclusive photographs, we find the actress and Mr. Li celebrating the Spring Festival in downtown Hong Kong."~  
  
Sakura watched, horrified, as photograph upon photograph of her and Syaoran together was aired. "This is not good. This is in fact, very, very bad," she muttered.  
  
~"Although it is not yet confirmed that the two are a couple, they have been seen together frequently during the actress' tour. It is, however, confirmed that Mr. Li IS engaged to Miss Wong."~  
  
Tomoyo hit the 'off' button on the remote.  
  
"KAMI-SAMA!" Sakura yelled. "Leave it to the cursed press and paparazzi. Things are messy enough as it is! How in the hell can I be vindicated for something I just turned down flat-out?!"  
  
Eriol jumped up and patted his heir. "It's all right, Sakura-san."  
  
"No, it is NOT all right," Sakura muttered. "I love you, Eriol-kun, but I am really MAD right now."  
  
Tomoyo picked up the phone. "I'll go call our publicist for damage control."  
  
Sakura nodded. "Good idea. I'll go scream my lungs out." She went to her room and slammed the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The phone at the Li estate was ringing off the hook. Syaoran told Wei to hold all press calls. Still, the reporters persisted.  
  
"I can't deal with this!" he yelled.  
  
Then someone knocked on his door.  
  
"It's Miss Ming-na, sir. She's downstairs," Wei announced.  
  
*Damn it!*  
  
He went downstairs where a very vehement Ming-na sat. He was greeted with tirade at once.  
  
"Xiao Lang, I demand an explanation!" Ming-na yelled. Syaoran didn't know what the woman had heard that had made her so angry.   
  
He tried to reason calmly. "We met at the festival, it was her birthday, we're friends so I took her out, THAT'S ALL."  
  
"Then what's this about her being the one engaged to you? And why won't you even deny it?"  
  
Ah, so that's what she heard. But Syaoran was beyond calm rationalizing. "YOU'RE the one wearing the ring, right?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"Don't get smart with me, Xiao Lang--"  
  
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"  
  
He walked out.  
  
His four sisters watched in awe. One of all, Syaoran NEVER lost his temper. Two of all, he never raised his voice to a woman.  
  
"You think it's because of that press thing?" Fanren asked.  
  
"I think it delves much deeper than that," Fuutie replied.  
  
Syaoran slammed the door to his room. *Everything is so screwed already, damn it! I can't take this anymore!*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, Sakura went to conference with their publicist, Kimite Ken.  
  
"Tell me what's going on, Ken," Sakura said.  
  
"It's not good, Sakura. Thousands of speculations have risen from that little situation. Now they're saying you stole this Li guy from his fiancee. That is NOT good at all," Ken said.  
  
Sakura buried her face in her hands and swore under her breath.  
  
"It's bad publicity, sweet, because your image is breaking into pieces," Ken added.  
  
"But is it salvageable?" Sakura asked.  
  
Ken nodded to her eternal thanks. "Yes, so far it's still salvageable. I assume you followed my advice and did not let yourself get interviewed and have released no comments?"  
  
Sakura nodded.  
  
"Good. The Li guy hasn't said a word either. Now we KNOW there's nothing between you two. All we have to do is stage a press conference, deny all accusations, issue an official statement, and say that you don't have a relationship with him."  
  
She sighed. "Ken, I so love you."  
  
"It's my job, sweet. But--" he turned to her. "Tell me-- what were you doing out with him like that anyway?"  
  
She sighed again. "Birthday celebration. He knew and took me out."  
  
"How do you know him?"   
  
"The man is an old, old friend. We were classmates in elementary."  
  
"You do know he's engaged?"  
  
"I've met his fiancee."  
  
Ken smiled. "That's my girl. Now don't you worry. We'll fix this mess by tomorrow at the presscon before we leave for Japan."  
  
"Thanks, Ken," she repeated.  
  
She walked him to the door.  
  
"By the way, sweet," Ken said. "Nice necklace."  
  
Sakura's hand flew to the pendant. "It was a... birthday gift."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Author's Notes: Hooooeeeee. Look at my big dazed face. -- (@_@) 


	11. A Flat-Out Denial

Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters for full disclaimer. ^-^  
  
DEDICATION: Eee. The people who terrorize me everywhere from MSN to Yahoo to finish this darn thing ALREADY. I have four chapters to write and a whole day to do it. Thanks guys. Motivation is everything to me. Wahaha. ^^  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Chapter 11: A Flat-Out Denial  
  
Over fifty journalists, reporters, and rumormongers, plus two very lucky individuals who won a phone-on contest to see Tomoyo and Sakura live attended the presscon Ken had set up for the two.  
  
By now every tipster who knew his stuff had told his correspondents about Daidouji Tomoyo's engagement to impossibly rich, impossibly handsome Japanese Hiiragizawa Eriol from London. Details of a 'whirlwind romance' were appearing everywhere in magazines and tabloids.   
  
Sakura smiled inwardly. If these people knew the 'truth' truth, they wouldn't be thinking along such lines of a 'whirlwind romance'.  
  
BUT. Details of the biggest scandal to hit Hong Kong were still unknown. Kinomoto Sakura's apparent fling with multi-millionaire Li Syaoran had neither been confirmed nor denied. Speculations were rising everywhere from the highest echelons of society to the lowest class of people. This was what would most likely be most electrifying. A famous film star and an heir to one of the largest companies in the world. And it was a known fact that the said heir was engaged to a very wealthy woman ALREADY.  
  
Sakura knew what had to be done to save herself from further scandal and save Syaoran and his family's name to be dragged into deeper sludge.  
  
She would have to flat-out deny everything to the Hong Kong press before flying back home to Tomoeda tomorrow.  
  
And then maybe she could leave Hong Kong in peace and nobody in pieces.  
  
So she raised her head in defiance of the fear she was feeling.   
  
Because now she would have to reject Syaoran in public, too. As if rejecting him in private wasn't bad enough.   
  
*I have to do what should be done.*  
  
She walked in with Tomoyo to the conference room, wearing the smile that made her famous.   
  
An uproar arose when they entered.  
  
"They're here! Miss Kinomoto--"  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," Ken announced. "I present, Daidouji Tomoyo and Kinomoto Sakura."  
  
The reporters could barely contain themselves. They fired question after question at the two girls with the speed of a machine gun. After thirty minutes, they let off an exhausted Daidouji Tomoyo and focused their attentions and their pens on Sakura.  
  
"Miss Kinomoto, is it true that you're really leaving for Japan tomorrow?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "Yes. That's true."  
  
"Is it because of the rumors circulating about you and Mr. Li Syaoran?"  
  
"No, no," Sakura said. "I'm leaving simply because the special has wrapped shooting and the tour is over. I'm not running away. I have nothing to hide."  
  
"So it really isn't true about you and Mr. Li?"  
  
"What is it, exactly, about me and Mr. Li?" Sakura asked.  
  
"That you two have a 'hidden' relationship."  
  
Sakura burst out laughing. "Well, I do suppose it isn't so hidden now, is it?"  
  
This was met with bursts of laughter.  
  
Sakura continued. "Li-kun and I met in fifth grade, in Tomoeda Elematary School where we used to study. He's a good friend. But he's nothing more. The circulated pictures of me and him were taken last Spring Festival. If you'll recall, that day was also my birthday. He and I didn't plan to meet, we saw each other by chance. Then he showed me around. That's it. No romantic whatever and most definitely NO hidden relationship."  
  
The reporters were positively deflated. The biggest scandal in Hong Kong was nothing more than a rumor blown out of proportion.  
  
"Miss Kinomoto, do you know Mr. Li's fiancee, Wong Ming-na?"  
  
"I've met her, yes. She was nice."  
  
"Has she reacted in any way towards you?"  
  
"As far as I know, no, she hasn't. I hope she's not mad over this little misunderstanding. I publicly apologize for whatever pain this has caused her. I like Ming-na, and I think she's going to be very happy with Li-kun."  
  
The press was further disheartened. The sincere answer and the smile on the actress' face further proved that what they had been told had only been mere illusions. Still, they wrote feverishly on their notepads.  
  
"All right, people, that's about all the time we have left," Ken said. "Any last questions?"  
  
"Miss Kinomoto!"  
  
Sakura turned. "Yes?"  
  
"Have you ever had a relationship with Mr. Li, ever before?"  
  
Sakura paused.  
  
Tomoyo looked up, awaiting her best friend's answer.  
  
*Flat-out denial.*  
  
After a few seconds of silence, Sakura looked up.  
  
"No. I haven't."  
  
"Ever?"  
  
"... Ever."  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
In the car, a barely-contained Tomoyo exploded violently on Sakura.  
  
"How could you say no?" Tomoyo asked.   
  
"How would I say yes?" Sakura returned. "Let it go, Tomoyo-chan. I said what I had to say."  
  
"I CAN'T and WON'T let it go!" Tomoyo cried. "He's MY friend, too, if you'd forgotten! He did nothing wrong to deserve this, from you, of ALL people!"  
  
"What do you think would've happened if I HAD said yes, ne, Tomoyo-chan?!" Sakura retorted. "More fuel for their fire! Write more about me and my 'childhood romance' and my 'hidden past'! His engagement will be ruined, he'll be called a liar and a two-timer, because now they have proof and evidence to believe that he loved me once and he still does! Think of the devastation it'll bring to Ielan-sama and his sisters! Think of what it'll do to HIM! Why do you think I made Ken set this whole thing up?! I wanted to SAVE him!" she yelled.   
  
Tomoyo was not to be deterred. "How could you deny everything?" she repeated.   
  
"Do you think I had actually WANTED to do that?" Sakura shot back. "Do you honestly think that it was easy for me to proclaim to the whole world that I didn't and had never loved Li Syaoran? It's the opposite of what EXACTLY it is I want to do! I want to proclaim to the whole universe that I once loved Li Syaoran! And he loved me! That I _still_ love him!" Her tears began to fall. "I had to save him. Make it appear like he had never loved anyone else but Ming-na. I had to do it. I had to."  
  
Tomoyo quieted at this and began to comfort her best friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
  
Sakura could only cry. For herself and what she'd lost in order to save someone else from pain.  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
When they arrived at the hotel, Eriol was waiting.   
  
"Someone's here for you, Sakura-san--" he began.  
  
Sakura walked as if she didn't hear and went in with nary a suspicion in the grim note in Eriol's voice.  
  
She took two steps into the living room and foun a half-livid, half-sorrowful Li Syaoran. She blinked. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"How could you deny everything?" he returned softly.  
  
She inhaled sharply. Then she raised her head in calm defiance. "I don't have to answer that," she said as she attempted to walk past him.   
  
"He caught her arm expertly and noticed her red-rimmed eyes. "You've been crying."  
  
She scoffed. "Of course not," she lied.  
  
He squinted. "You can lie to the whole world with very little effort but you can't lie to me."  
  
She shook his hand off. "So I've been crying. What's it to you?"  
  
"Everything," he replied. "Admit it."  
  
"Admit what?"  
  
"That you still love me."  
  
Her green eyes narrowed. "You're crazy."  
  
"Admit it, Sakura."  
  
"No. Look, Li--"  
  
"-- Li. What the hell. You called me Syaoran before," he said. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me and I swear I will never bother you again."  
  
"I have nothing to say to you."  
  
He looked into her eyes. "Like I said. You can lie to the whole world but you can never lie to me."  
  
She could feel the wall she built around herself breaking down. She had to do something, get away, repel him, even.   
  
"Li, get over it," she muttered, looking up at him. "I don't love you."  
  
His eyes widened for but a second before they narrowed in anger.  
  
*Keep it staedy, Sakura. Keep it steady.*  
  
They were locked in face-off until Syaoran broke and stalked out.  
  
Sakura heard the front door slam and then, silence.  
  
Tired. She was so tired already.  
  
So she let herself go down on her knees and weep uncontrollably.  
  
She hoped she'd be okay by morning.  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Syaoran walked out of the hotel and into his car. He revved the engine, not really sure where to go.   
  
He had a sudden, definite desire to beat.... SOMETHING into a pulp.  
  
*"I don't love you."*  
  
He realized he had driven straight to Meilin's house. He got out of the car and went inside. Maybe his levelheaded cousin could do him some good.  
  
....  
  
"Well, you're the dimbulb who broke your promise to her," Meilin scolded. "You deserved exactly what you got. What, did you think that after almost ten years she'd still run into your arms when you asked her to? If you have failed to notice, cousin, things have changed."  
  
"You think I forgot that promise for a second of my life?" Syaoran shot back.  
  
"Yeah, I think you did. Three seconds, in fact. Three seconds it took to slide that ring onto Ming-na's finger!" Meilin retorted.  
  
*Ouch. That stung.* "I got engaged to Ming-na because I _thought_ I'd fallen in love with her. And I never thought-- though I'd always dreamed-- that I'd ever see Sakura again."  
  
"Regrets, huh?" Meilin asked.  
  
"Tons," he replied sorrowfully. "I love her, Meilin. I love Sakura."  
  
"Well, what do you want me to do?" she asked, exasperated.  
  
"Point out the blinding obvious to set me straight," Syaoran replied.  
  
"So your brain's that unclear, huh? Geez, cousin. It's staring you in the face and yet you fail to notice," Meilin replied. "Break off the engagement to Ming-na. You know in your heart that you don't love her. She deserves no pain from that. At least, even if you don't have Sakura, you don't hurt Ming-na. Or at least not very violently."  
  
Syaoran looked at his cousin and was awed by her logic.  
  
He was free. 


	12. The One That Got Away

Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters for full disclaimer. ^-^  
  
DEDICATION: Er. Empress Sasami. She loves this fic to pieces though I totally fail to understand exactly why. ^-^  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
Chapter 12: The One That Got Away  
  
"Sakura-chan, hayaku onegai. We'll be boarding soon," Tomoyo reminded.  
  
"Hai, hai, chotto matte de. I'm just going to pay for this stuff for otou-chan and onii-chan. I'll follow," Sakura replied.  
  
"Okay, we'll meet you at the gate. Don't take very long."  
  
"I won't."  
  
*Finally, I get to go home,* Sakura thought. *... Syaoran-kun.. I'm so sorry...*  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
"... So you WERE the one she'd been waiting for. All this time," Ming-na whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ming-na. It's just that--" Syaoran cut off.  
  
Ming-na shook her head. "You don;t have to explain, Xiao Lang. Ten years she's been waiting for you. I had you for two. That's... enough for me." She took the ring off and placed it on his palm. "Go, find her. Be happy. Make her happy."  
  
He broke into a smile.  
  
Syaoran's sisters were watching from behind a corner when Meilin burst in. "Xiao Lang! Where is he?"  
  
"In there. Why?" Fuutie asked.  
  
"Sakura-chan's plane leaves in ten minutes!"  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
*"Now boarding flight 69088J to Tomoeda, Japan."*  
  
"That's our flight, let's go, otomodachi-san," Tomoyo said.  
  
Sakura blinked. "Oh-- yeah. I'll be right there."  
  
Tomoyo turned around and walked toward the gate with Eriol. "You think she's okay?"  
  
"I don't really know," Eriol replied.  
  
"Maybe we ought to--"  
  
"Sakura does things in her own time, on her own terms," Eriol said.  
  
Sakura put the wing knapsack on again. She stood up, turned around and walked toward the gate.   
  
*Sayonara.*  
  
....  
  
"Damn Hong Kong traffic!" Syaoran yelled. "How much time?"  
  
"Three minutes," Meilin said.  
  
*I'm not going to make it,* he thought dismally.  
  
He stared at the velvet box in his hand, given to him shortly before he jumped into his car, Meilin in tow to catch up with Sakura at the airport.  
  
*"This contains my engagement ring from your father. I want you to give it to Ying Fa."*  
  
*Yeah, Mother. If I can just get out of this traffic...*  
  
Meilin yelled, exasperated. "Y'know what? Sprint it! You'll get there faster and there may even be a chance that you're not too late. Go!" She shoved him out of the car.  
  
He began to run the five blocks to the airport and went through the entrance. Strangely, he wasn't stopped by customs officials.   
  
"Which flight is the one to Tomoeda?" he asked an employee.  
  
"Mr. Li! It's... 69008J. Gate 15. It's boarding."  
  
Syaoran took off.  
  
He got there in time to see the last person go into the chute. Sakura.  
  
"Sakura! Wait!" he yelled.  
  
The chute closed, and Sakura did not hear.  
  
Two minutes later the plane took off.  
  
Meilin came up to him. "Got away again, huh?"  
  
He nodded. "But this time, I intend to follow." 


	13. Hitotsu Dake

Where You Are  
by Ekai Ungson  
  
DISCLAIMER: See previous chapters for full disclaimer. ^-^  
  
DEDICATION: Hee hee. It's finished! Bwahahaha. And I would like to thank... syaoran no hime, Empress Sasami, Candz, An Kanghui, Luna-chan, Joyce-chan, and everybody! Arigatooooo!! ^^  
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Chapter 13: Hitotsu Dake De  
  
Kinomoto Touya stared as his sister absently spread butter on toast.  
  
The girl appeared to be in some sortf of deep trance since she came back. That was three days ago.  
  
And Touya had a feeling this wasn't just jet lag anymore.  
  
"Kaijuu," he said.  
  
Sakura looked up.  
  
Okay, something was definitely up. She didn't even react to the 'monster' bit.   
  
He looked into her eyes and saw that she'd been...  
  
"You've been crying, imouto," he stated.  
  
She blinked, looked up, and recovered. "Been watching... tearjerkers. Uh... Casablanca," she mumbled.  
  
"Liar. I still have your DVD of Casablanca. What's wrong with you?" Touya asked. "Is this about that trip to Hong Kong?"  
  
Sakura shook her head. "No."  
  
Touya persisted. "This is something about the gaki, isn't it?" Touya already hated China Boy. But seeing his sister hurt was worse. He'd seen it before. He'd seen it every year since the idiot left. He couldn't understand what Sakura saw in the baka at all.   
  
"Nandemo nai, 'nii-chan. Don't you have work today?" Sakura asked.  
  
*Work? I have work all right. I'm going to China to personally black the Oriental Gaki's eyes out for him,* Touya thought. "Yeah. I'll be leaving in a few minutes."  
  
"I'm taking this upstairs," Sakura announced softly. She walked out of the kitchen.  
  
Touya raised his eyes heavenward. "Okaa-chan, your daughter's acting up again. Let me know if she's in pain-- she's not telling me. And then I'll go kill the idiot gaki that broke her heart. Again. Really, 'kaa-chan, I don't know why you let her go into those relationship stuff."  
  
And although Touya didn't hear, Kinomoto Nadeshiko said, "Sakura-chan will be fine, Touya-kun. Go to work."  
  
Touya then grabbed his coat and walked out of the house.  
  
Sakura heard her brother's car rev up and leave.  
  
Her father was at the university. She was all alone.  
  
And so she felt the way she usually did when no one was around and she had nothing to do.  
  
Empty.  
  
She glanced at her dresser. On it lay three oriental hair ornaments, a stuffed wolf and a stuffed rabbit, and a star shaped candle. Birthday presents.  
  
Syaoran's presents.  
  
*Oh, man.*  
  
If she kept it up she just KNEW she'd be crying nonstop again. She turn around and sat down on her bed.  
  
One dark blue bear sat there. An old dark blue bear that held so many memories.  
  
Her Syaoran-bear.  
  
Suddenly anything and everything was reminding her of Syaoran.  
  
*I just went seven thousand miles to get away and yet all I seem to remember is those of what I wish to forget...*  
  
What did they call it? Oh. Withdrawal symptoms.  
  
Tomoyo and Eriol were getting married in a whopping two weeks. Apparently Eriol didn't believe in long engagements and had insisted on getting married ASAP.  
  
In a few months Syaoran would be married to Ming-na, too. Thanks to her.  
  
And then she'd be truly, terribly alone.  
  
*In a few years they'll discover that I can't act, that my top talent is to be a class-A coward, and all this surface beauty will fade away and turn gray. And what I'll be is a once-famous has-been that still lives with my father as a spinster with a thousand cats.*  
  
How grim.  
  
Or maybe she would get over Syaoran and marry some guy who loved her, who she loved. Maybe Syaoran wasn't the be-all and end-all of her entire existence.  
  
*No, he's just the love of my life. That's basically it, really.*  
  
The diamond necklace glittered.  
  
Well, she regretted none of what she did. She did right, after all. And there was no use in sitting around moping.  
  
She grabbed her wing knapsack and keys. She'd go to the daycare center and have some fun with the kids.  
  
She went downstairs and passed the living room. She froze.  
  
Syaoran was standing there with Tomoyo and Eriol.  
  
All she managed was a small, strangled, "Hoee?"  
  
Tomoyo rushed and led her back to her room.  
  
Syaoran made a move to follow. Eriol stopped him.   
  
"Let Tomoyo talk to her first."  
  
Syaoran nodded.  
  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  
"Why is he here?" Sakura asked. "I just went over five thousand miles to get away so why-- in-- the-- world-- is he-- HERE?"  
  
Tomoyo shook her head. "He just... arrived. This morning. Why are you so mad?"  
  
"I'm not mad, Tomoyo-chan. I'm happy. That's what's wrong about it," she muttered.  
  
"Well, he arrived totally unannounced and I had nothing to do with it. We went to your condo first but no one was there."  
  
"You know I rarely stay in my condo for long periods of time. I get lonely," Sakura answered.  
  
"Yeah, so we figured you'd be here at your dad's--"  
  
"Tomoyo-chan--"  
  
Eriol came in. "He wants to talk to you, Sakura-san."  
  
Syaoran stood there and met her eyes. She gave an imperceptible nod.  
  
Eriol and Tomoyo retreated.  
  
....  
  
"Why are you here?" Sakura asked softly. "-- What else? What else can I do to make you turn away from me?"  
  
He smiled gently at her. "Why?"  
  
What the heck was he trying to pull? "Damn it," she muttered softly. "You're engaged, Syaoran-kun."  
  
"Why is it so easy for you to let me go because of that?"  
  
"How can you even FATHOM that it's easy?" she returned. "It's the hardest, hardest thing ever for me..."  
  
"So you admit that you do still care."  
  
"No," she said, looking up. "I don't admit that I care. I do, however, admit that I still love you." She turned away. "But it doesn't matter now, does it? Whether you know the truth or not-- whether you know that I love you or not... it doesn't matter." She sighed. "I love you, Syaoran. Hitotsu dake de. My only one. And now that you know... maybe you and I can part in peace."  
  
He moved forward, she looked up.  
  
He looked into her green eyes and smiled. She blinked.  
  
"Sakura," he whispered. "I'm free."  
  
Her eyes narrowed in question.   
  
You and I don't need to sacrifice anymore," he said. Then to her eternal surprise he knelt before her. "Marry me."  
  
"Nanii?" she managed. "But--"  
  
"Sakura, for ten years, I've loved no one but you. And I will never, ever, feel this way about anyone else. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise before... but it's you I love, Sakura. It's just you."  
  
She stared at him.  
  
"Marry me and I promise I will never let pain touch you again."  
  
Silence.  
  
Then she knelt to meet his eyes and put her arms around him. "Daijobu da yo. It's all right now."  
  
"You mean...?"  
  
"I mean." 


End file.
